Ladder Safety TrainingDate:

Suzanne Reister – Workers’ Comp Program Manager

Paula Vanderpool – Workers’ Comp Program Assistant

Ladder Safety

• WAC 296-876 – Portable Ladders– Training– Ladder Care– Composition/Materials

Ladder Safety• Ladders manufactured before January 1,

2006 must meet the design and construction requirements of ANSI (American National Standards Institute).

• Your ladder should have a label indicating it meets these requirements.

Portable Ladder Safety - Introduction

• Ladders are important and essential tools that are used widely in a variety of industries. 

• They help us move up and down and work at different heights.

• Portable ladders, in particular, are useful tools because they can be readily moved or carried.

• They are simply built and come in many sizes, shapes, and styles.

Ladder Safety – Condition/Inspection• Condition and inspection

– Keep portable ladders in good, usable condition.• Joints between steps or rungs and side

rails are tight• Rungs, cleats, or steps are not bent,

broken or split• All bolts and rivets are in place and secure• Hardware, fittings and accessories are

securely attached and working properly• Ropes are not frayed or badly worn

Ladder Safety – Condition/Inspection

• Moveable parts operate freely without grinding or excessive play

• Safety feet and other auxiliary equipment are not excessively worn

• Metal components are not corroded• There are no other faulty or defective

components

Ladder Safety• Ladders need to be inspected as follows:

WHEN THE LADDER IS: DO THE FOLLOWING:

First placed into service and periodically while in service

Inspect the ladder for visible defects, including, but not limited to: -Working parts and -Rung or step connections to the side rails

Damaged by impact or tips over

•Visually inspect the ladder for dents, bends, cracks or splits•Check:•Rung or step connection to the side rails•Hardware connections•Rivets for shear damage•All other components

Ladder Safety• Ladders need to be inspected as follows:

Exposed to excessiveHeat such as a fire

•Visually inspect the ladder for damage•Test for deflection and strength characteristics•Using the “in-service use tests” contained in the appropriate ANSI•Exemption:Job-made ladders……

Storage• Ladder Storage • DO• Store ladders in dry, well ventilated areas with

moderate temperatures. • Store ladders either vertically or horizontally with

supports at each end and in the middle. • Identify unsafe ladders with tags. • Remove defective or unsafe ladders from service

immediately. • DON'T• Don't store anything on a ladder. • Don't paint wooden ladders with paint, only with clear

preservatives, as paint can hide wear on the ladder.

Portable Ladders – Use/Abuse

• Although they are easy to use, they are often misused or abused, causing serious injuries and deaths. These deaths and injuries could have been significantly reduced or eliminated with proper care and use.

At least one of these per year, is a fatality.

Varieties of Ladders• To prevent injuries while using

portable ladders, you need to know what kinds of ladders there are and how to use them properly.  

• There are various types, shapes, and sizes of ladders to help you accomplish your tasks.  

Varieties of Ladders

Extension Ladder – 2 person jobTwo Way Step Ladder

Platform Ladder Orchard Ladder

Combination Ladder

Self-Supporting Ladders• Portable self-supporting ladders can

stand up on their own.  • Standard stepladders have a front

section with steps for climbing and a back section with two rear legs, which give them their stability.  

• They must be set up on firm, level surfaces  such as floors, platforms, and slabs.

Self-Supporting Ladders• The standard stepladder is non-

adjustable and has flat steps and a hinged back.  

• It must have a metal spreader or locking device strong enough to securely hold the front and back sections in the open position.  

• The back section is cross-braced and you must not use it for climbing.

Self - Supporting• The ladder may also have a bucket

shelf which must be able to support a load of 25 pounds.

• Standard stepladders are usually intended for use by only one worker at a time, unless otherwise specified on the manufacturers' or other labels.

Non Self-Supporting

• Non-self-supporting ladders must be leaned against a stable structure strong enough to support the weight of the ladder, user, tools, and materials being used by the worker on the ladder.

• They are intended for use by only one worker at a time.

• Commonly used non-self-supporting ladders include single ladders and extension ladders.

Non Self– Supporting

• Single ladders are nonadjustable and must never be tied or fastened together to form a longer ladder.

• Sectional ladders, which consist of two or more sections, are designed to be combined together to function as a single ladder

Portable Ladders - Falls• You don't have to fall far to get

hurt.  Workers injured in falls from ladders are usually less than 10 feet above the ladder's base of support. 

Reasons for Falls

• Why do people fall from ladders if they are so easy to use?

Setting up on an unstable or slippery base surface is a primary reason ladders fall over.

Falls involve portable ladders that move, tilt, or shift while a worker is climbing, descending, or performing a task. 

Standing on the top two rungs, which explicitly has a warning label DANGER, do not do!

More Reasons for Falls•   improperly getting onto or off of the

ladder

•   loss of balance

•   setting up the ladder improperly

•   overreaching by the user

•   misstepping or a slipping of the foot while climbing or descending

More Reasons for Falls• Being bumped by a Cart or other

object

• Having a vehicle run into or bump you.

• People not paying attention to where they're walking.

Ladder Safety - Prevention

• Make sure the ladder is not placed on ice, snow, or other slippery surface unless the ladder is prevented from accidental displacement by:– Securing it– Providing the ladder with slip-resistant

feet

•Make sure ladders are not placed on boxes, barrels, or other unstable bases to obtain additional height

Ladder Safety - Prevention• Protect ladders that are set–up in a

location where they could be displaced by workplace activities or traffic by either:– Securing the ladder to prevent

accidental displacement– Or– Using a barricade to keep the

activities or traffic away from the ladder

Ladder Safety - Prevention• Protect ladders that are set-up in front

of doors that open towards the ladder by doing at least one of the following:– Block the door open– Lock the door– Guard the door to keep it from

opening into the ladder

Ladder Safety - Prevention• Make sure ladders are not placed on

boxes, barrels, or other unstable bases to obtain additional height

• Place a straight ladder so the side rails are equally supported by the top support, unless the ladder is equipped with a single support attachment

• Make sure the top support of the ladder is reasonably rigid and able to support the load

Ladder Safety - Prevention• Climbing and descending:

– Have both hands free to hold on to the ladder, or at least one hand.

– Face the ladder when climbing or descending– Keep ladders free from oil, grease, or other

slippery materials– Keep the area around the top and bottom of

ladders clear.– Remove all items from ladder before moving it– Make sure single-rail ladders are not used

Ladder Safety – Composition/Materials•   Fiberglass•  Aluminum/Metal•  Wood

– Besides having different ratings or load capacities, ladders may be constructed of various kinds of materials.  Each material has specific care, maintenance, and storage requirements and may be preferred for specific uses, or under certain conditions.

Types of Composition

• WOOD

Stability better because it is heavier

Durability less – wears out faster

Strength to Weight Ratio good

Weather Resistance not as good

Conductivity non-conductive when clean and dry

Types of Composition

• FIBERGLASS

Stability less because it is lighter

Durability better – material lasts longer

Strength to Weight Ratio high

Weather Resistance better (not same conditions as wood)

Conductivity non-conductive when clean and dry(PREFERRED)

Types of Composition

• ALUMINUM

Stability less – lightest of all

Durability better

Strength to Weight Ratio high

Weather Resistance better

Conductivity conductive – do NOT use near exposed electrical sources/in a storm

Composition - Aluminum

•   Electrocution Hazard•   This Ladder Conducts Electricity•   Do Not Use Around Electrical

Equipment•   or other equivalent wording

Do not use a metal ladder when working around energy sources.  Metal ladders

must be labeled with a DANGER warning sticker indicating:

What NOT to do:

Wood, metal, and fiberglass ladders may also have some specific construction

requirements.

•  Metal or Fiberglass – must have slip or skid-resistant feet AND

steps or rungs that are corrugated, knurled, dimpled, coated with skid-resistant material, or treated to minimize possible slipping

For example:

RatingsDuty

RatingLadder Type

Use Maximum intended

load (pounds)

Extra Heavy –Duty

IA Industry, utilities, contractors

300

Heavy-Duty I Industry, utilities, contractors

250

Medium-Duty II Painters, offices, light maintenance

225

Light-Duty III General household use

200

Ratings and Labels

• Although there are many different kinds of portable ladders, they all receive a rating based on their maximum intended or working load - the total weight that they can safely support.  This includes the weight of the worker, tools, and materials.  

• Type I-AA - 375 lbs.– Special duty industrial use, such as CATV, utilities, contractors, and

higher capacity needs • Type I-A -300 lbs.

– Extra-heavy-duty industrial use, such as utilities and contractors • Type I - 250 lbs.

– Heavy-duty industrial use, such as utilities and contractors • Type II - 225 lbs.

– Medium-duty work, such as painting, offices for building maintenance, and light industrial use

• Type III - 200 lbs.– Light duty work, such as household use

• These ratings must meet certain American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards and they must be indicated on the duty rating sticker or manufacturer's label. 

• ANSI requires that every ladder be labeled with this information so users can determine if they have the correct type ladder for the task/job.

Ratings and Labels

Information Contained on Labels

• Besides their ratings, labels and markings found on manufactured ladders contain product information, such as:

• Manufacturer's Name• Ladder's Model Number/Name• Month and Year of Manufacture• Ladder's Size/Length, Maximum Working

Length, and• Highest Standing Level

Help Yourself & Others

• Before you use a ladder, check its rating to see if you have the right ladder for the job.  Be sure not to subject the ladder to a work load greater than its rated capacity.  And, always read manufacturers' labels and follow their recommendations.

Do yourself a favor and avoid a fall and injury to yourself. If you see someone doing it wrong, say something!

Warning labels

• Manufactured ladders have warning markings and labels, such as "CAUTION" and "DANGER," which are usually in red or yellow.

• They often also have  "SAFETY" labels which give information on how to use the ladders safely.

What NOT to do:

QUIZ

Ladder Safety Quiz• You have to fall more than 15 feet

from a ladder before you get hurt.

Portable Ladder Safety    True       False

FALS

E

Workers injured in falls from ladders are usually less than 10 feet above the ladder's base of support.

Portable Ladder Safety

A) Reaching too far out away from the ladder. B) Misstep or slip of the foot while

climbing. C) Setting up the ladder on an

unstable or slippery surface. D) All of the above.

Injuries involving falls from ladders might be:

D – all o

f the above

A ladder is rated according to

• A) its size • B) how it is to be used • C) the total weight that it can

safely support • D) the kind of material it is made

of

(C) the total weight th

at it can safely support

Labels

You don't need to read any of thelabels on a ladder for information

other than to find out the ladder's Type.

True False FALS

E